Collapsible display tray



March 19, 1935. T. H. CARRUTHERS I 1,995,053

COLLAPSIBLE DISPLAY TRAY Filed June 14, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

dad/24 ATTORNEYS.

I Mai-ch 19', 1935. T. H. CARRVUTHERS 1,995,053

COLLAPSIBLE DISPLAY TRAY Filed June 14, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTORNE Y5 BY flaw/$4..

Patented Mar. 19, 1935 UNITED STATES coLLAPsIBLE Thomas H. Carruthers,

to The McDonald Printing Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio DISPLAY TRAY Glendale, Ohio, assignor Application June 14, 1933; Serial No. 675,793

2 Claims.

My inventionrela'tes to collapsible display trays which may be shipped to a dealer in fiat condition, and which he may open out and use as a display container by placing the articles'to be displayed within an open topped container.

It isan'object of myfinvention' to provide a display carton havingl'a flat bottom articulated to a side wall andin which vthe'side walls are formed in a desirable shape, which the bottom wall fits into and in which means are provided to lock the bottom wall in position so that it will support the articles desired to be displayed.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a display tray of frustro polygonal pyramidal shape; in which the side walls arearticulated together and the bottom wall is articulated to one of the side walls, and in which when the walls are assembled an open top container of frustro polygonal pyramidal shapeis formed with the bottom wall firmly locked in position so that if the display tray is moved about there will be no likelihood of the bottom dropping out and permitting the contents to spill through the opening.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a display tray which can be cut from paper board stock with great economy and which can be assembled easily.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a display tray in which a bottom articu- 30 lated to one of the side walls is provided with articulated flaps which extend up within the walls of the container when it is set up and so tend to make the package sift-proof at the bottom.

Another object is the provision of a display carton having overlapping flaps at the back, providing a reinforced structure which will support a display panel.

Specifically it is an object of my invention to provide a collapsible container or display tray in which a bottom wall, articulated to one of the side walls, has articulated flaps at the outer edge of the bottom which are provided with hook members which interlock within slots formed in one of the side walls so that the hook members will hold the bottom securely within the walls of the container.

It is further an object of my invention to provide a collapsible display tray in which the hook members seat naturally in the opening up of the tray without its being necessary to manipulate the hook members to seat within the slots.

In the Larkin Patent No. 1,860,349, there is disclosed a collapsible container of the general type forming the subject matter of this invention. In

matter of. theLarkin patent,'th'ere is a folding bottom comprising two sections connected to opposite sides, and centrally hinged tdone another. Portions of the bottom at the extremities of the side line wedge into the adjacent dihedral 5 angles of the pyramid to assist in holding the container expanded. It is my object to provide a container in which the folding-bottom is formedfrom a flat unscored piece o-f polygonal. shape; which is held in position not by-any frictional engagement between the edges of the bottom with the side walls, but by the positive interlock of the tabs articulated to the bottommember. Thus, the possibility of the bottom pushing through the container and spilling the contents of the traythrough the opening is minimized."

The above objects and other objects to which reference will be made in the ensuing description; I accomplish by that certaincombinatlon and arrangement of parts of which 'I have-shown apreferred embodiment.

Referringto the drawings: l

Figure 1 is a plan view of the cut and scored blank for forming the frustro polygonal pyramidalcontainer.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the display trayin knocked down condition.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the tray after it has been set up. 1

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the lines 4-4 in Figure 3.

Referring to the blank, the front side panel is indicated at l, with other side wall panels 2 articulated to the side edges of the panel 1, and with other side panels 3 articulated to the outer edges of the panels 2. Panel 4 articulated to the left hand of the panel 3, shown at the left in Figure 1, forms the back wall of the box, and an articulated tab 5 connected to the outer edge of the panel 3, shown in Figure 1, overlaps the panel 4 and may be adhesively or by stitches secured, thereto. A slot6 is formed along the juncture q I between the line of articulation of the panel 3 and the panel 4, and a slot is formed in the side back wall opposite to the slot 6 by means of cutout portions 7, 7a, which register and form a single slot of the same size as the slot 6. A'bottom wall 8 is articulated to one side edge of the front panel 1. At each edge of the bottom, 8 there is an articulated flap. As shown in Figure 1, two flaps 9 are provided at the front of the bottom. Two flapslO at the back of the bottom have hooked members 11 which interlock the bottom and hold it in place as will be later described.

The actual back end of the bottom is provided with flap 12.

When the flap is brought with its line of articulation to the flap 3 in registry with the 5 outer edge of the panel 4, the flaps 5 and 4 are joined panels 4 and 5 will lie against the bottom and also parallel with the front panel 1. v

I have shown a display panel 13 secured to the back wall 4 with suitable stitching as indicated at 14. The panel 13 may be cut from the scrap 1 member positioned within said sides and parallel from which the blanks shown in Figure 1 are cut,

and the only cooperative action of the panel 13 aside from its mounting on the back .panel 4, is that it has under-cut ledges 15, which as indicated in Figure 3, seat on top of the top edges of the panels 3 when the display tray is setup as indicated-in Figure .3;

, Toset'up the container from the fiat'collapsible condition shown in Figure .2, the corner edge between the flaps or panels 2, 3 are pushed together, which-causes the side walls together with the front and back wall 1 and 4 to assume a polygonal formation-. The bottom wall 1 carrying the side edge flaps 9, 10 and 12, are then pushed down within the polygonal side walls of the con.- tainer. The flaps 10 fold inwardly into alignment with the panels 3 and asthe bottom is depressed more and more the tongues 11 enter bottom wall of the container will be held ,in secure position.

vTo collapse thecontainer all that is-necessary is to push upwardly on the, back edge of the bottom wall and the bottom 8, together with its flaps l0 and tongues 11 will move up out of the slots 6, 7a, thereby allowing the container to be collapsed into fiat condition.

It will be noted that all of the container with the exception of the panel 13 is formed from a single sheet of paper board, and if the flap 12 were made longer it could itself bemade sufiiciently long to extend up as a display panel.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:-

1. In a collapsible display tray comprising sides and a bottom member, said bottom member being articulated to the bottom edge of one of the sides, said'sides being collapsed with said bottom to -them, means for holding said bottom member in position within said sides when said tray is erected, said means comprising tab members projectingyfrom 'the edge of saidbottom member and slots 'infsaidside members to receive said tab members when said tray is erected, said slots being wedge shapedwith the narrow portion of the wedge toward the bottom of the sides and appreciably widerthan'the tabs, so that the bottomimember maybe positioned within said side members and the tray erected'by merely pushing saidnbottom member toward the bottom of the tray. V

2. Means for-holding the bottom of a collapsible display tray comprising sides and a bottom.

member. consisting of tabs terminating in hooks articulated to said bottom member and projecting therefrom, and wedge shapedslots in said side members with the narrowest portion of the wedge toward the bottom edge for receiving said hooks when saidbottom member is pushed into position inerecting said-tray.

. l THOMAS H. CARRU'IHERS. 

